Is It True the Noise in My Ears Gets Worse at Bedtime?

If you are one of the 25 million people in this country suffering from tinnitus then you might already know for most people it gets worse at night, but why? Tinnitus is phantom noises that people hear in one or both ears that are typically associated with hearing loss, either permanent or temporary. None of that really explains why those who do live with this ringing, buzzing or swishing noise hear more of it when trying to sleep.

The answer is probably more common sense than you think. To understand why your tinnitus becomes a bigger issue as you try to sleep, you need to know more about this condition.

What is Tinnitus?

To say tinnitus is not a real sound just adds to the confusion, but, for most people, that is true. It’s a noise no one else can hear and does not happen of a real sound close to your ear. The individual lying next to you in bed can’t hear it even if it sounds like a tornado to you.

Tinnitus alone is not a disease or condition, but a sign that something else is wrong. It is typically associated with significant hearing loss. For many, tinnitus is the first sign they get that their hearing is at risk. Hearing loss tends to be gradual, so they do not notice it until that ringing or buzzing starts. This phantom noise works like a flag to warn you of a change in how you hear.

What Causes Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is one of medical sciences biggest conundrums. Doctors do not have a clear understanding of why it happens, only what it usually means. It is a symptom of a number of medical problems including inner ear damage. The inner ear contains many tiny hair cells designed to move in response to sound waves. Tinnitus often means there is damage to those hair cells, enough to keep them from sending electrical messages to the brain. These electrical messages is how the brain translates sound into something you can clearly comprehend like a car horn or person talking.

The current theory about tinnitus has to do with the silence or a lack of sound. The brain works hard to interpret sound through these messages, but when they don’t come, it is confusing. To compensate, your brain fills that that lack of sound with the ringing or buzzing noise of tinnitus.

The need for feedback from the ears does explain a few things related to tinnitus. For one, it tells you why that sound is a symptom of such a variety of illnesses that affect hearing from a mild ear infection to age-related hearing loss. It also explains why the volume goes up at night for some people.

Why Does Tinnitus Get Worse at Night?

Unless you are profoundly deaf, your ear picks up certain sounds all day long even if you do not realize it. The ears hear faint noises like music playing or the TV humming even if there is no comprehension of the sound. At the very least, you hear your own voice, but at night, it all stops.

At bedtime, the world goes silent and that lack of noise creates confusion in the brain in response to it. The brain only knows one thing to do when that happens – create noise even if it’s not real.

In other words, tinnitus gets worse at night because it’s too quiet. Creating sound is the solution for those who can’t sleep because their ears are ringing.

How to Create Noise at Night

If you can believe that ear ringing does get worse at night because there is not enough noise to keep the brain busy, the answer to the problem is clear – make some. For people suffering from tinnitus, all they need do is run a fan in the room. Just the noise of the motor is enough to quiet the ringing.

Manufacturers do make a device designed to help those with tinnitus get to sleep, as well. The white noise machine plays environmental sounds like rain falling or wind blowing to fill that empty space. The soft sounds can soothe the brain without distracting it from the main object – to fall asleep.

Can Anything Else Increase Tinnitus?

It’s important to remember that the lack of noise is just one possible reason for the increase in tinnitus at night. The ringing can also get worse with stress and certain some medical problems like high blood pressure. If playing sounds at night doesn’t help or you get dizzy when with the ringing, it’s time to see the doctor.